Deanna Nolan

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Cheryl Ford scored 22 points and had a season-high 19 rebounds to help the Detroit Shock beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 63-59 on Tuesday night. It was a league-leading ninth double-double for Ford this season. She has had two 18-rebound games this season, and her effort helped the Shock (10-4) stay a half game behind Connecticut for the lead in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has won six straight games. The Sun defeated Houston 73-57 on Tuesday. San Antonio (6-8)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Deanna Nolan scored 21 points and Katie Smith scored all 16 of her points in the second half to help Detroit even the WNBA finals at a game apiece with a 73-63 win over Sacramento on Friday night. For the better part of three quarters, it looked like the Monarchs would take a 2-0 lead back to Sacramento for Game 3 on Sunday, but Smith wouldn't let that happen. Her 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in the third quarter pulled the Shock -- who had trailed by as many as 11 points earlier in the game -- within 54-48.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Deanna Nolan scored 22 points to lead the Detroit Shock to an 81-72 victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday night in the opener of the WNBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Plenette Pierson had 11 points for the Shock. Game 2 of the best-of-three series will be Sunday in Detroit. The Shock swept Indiana in three regular-season games and have won five straight over the Fever, including the last two games of the 2007 conference finals.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Cheryl Ford had 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Detroit Shock over the Minnesota Lynx 78-69 Wednesday night. Minnesota's Seimone Augustus, the No. 1 pick in April's draft, scored 10 points in the first half before limping back to the locker room with an ice pack on her left ankle. She started the second half, but obviously was struggling and sat out most of the third quarter. Former Notre Dame star Ruth Riley and Swin Cash each added 14 points for the Shock (1-1)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Deanna Nolan has lost the ability to surprise her Detroit Shock teammates. No one even blinked Sunday when Nolan scored 20 points in an 11-minute stretch as the Shock beat the Charlotte Sting 71-61. "She could do that every night," said Cheryl Ford. "The only thing that stops Deanna is Deanna. " Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer called his All-Star "unguardable," and Nolan wasn't about to argue. "When I get going, all I'm thinking about is getting to the basket and scoring," she said.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Never mind that coach Bill Laimbeer had guaranteed that Detroit would beat Indiana on Thursday night in the opening game of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Deanna Nolan knew what had to be done. She scored 18 points and Katie Smith added 17 to lead Detroit to a 68-56 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. "I think it pumps us up and gives us more confidence, makes us more focused and intense," Nolan said of Laimbeer's prediction. "But at the same time, we're not really thinking about it. We're trying to limit the little things, like turnovers, allowing second shots, and just play hard.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -- The Connecticut Sun got their offensive rhythm back and an emotional lift from Katie Douglas. The All-Star game MVP returned to the starting lineup despite a hairline fracture in her right foot to spark the Sun to a 77-68 win over the Detroit Shock on Saturday, extending the Eastern Conference finals to a deciding third game. "First and foremost, I didn't want to be a distraction to them," Douglas said. "Each and every one of them has supported me and I just didn't want to distract them, but I wanted to give them something if I could.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- He has seen it before and he saw it again Sunday. Before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals even started, Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said he told his coaching staff that the team would be in trouble. And this was the worst possible time for the Shock to revert to bad habits. The energy and concentration weren't there. The desire was left somewhere in the team hotel. And Laimbeer had to watch as the Shock repeatedly made mistakes, took bad shots, failed to play defense and committed too many turnovers.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan knew her team was in need of an energy boost Saturday when it trailed by 10 points at halftime. And Nolan provided just that. She scored a game-high 26 points, 18 in the second half, and made a pair of free throws with 29.9 seconds remaining to help the Shock hold off a late rally by the Indiana Fever to win 74-69. The win clinched the Eastern Conference title for the defending WNBA champions and assured them of home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Deanna Nolan scored 22 points to lead the Detroit Shock to an 81-72 victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday night in the opener of the WNBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Plenette Pierson had 11 points for the Shock. Game 2 of the best-of-three series will be Sunday in Detroit. The Shock swept Indiana in three regular-season games and have won five straight over the Fever, including the last two games of the 2007 conference finals.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan knew her team was in need of an energy boost Saturday when it trailed by 10 points at halftime. And Nolan provided just that. She scored a game-high 26 points, 18 in the second half, and made a pair of free throws with 29.9 seconds remaining to help the Shock hold off a late rally by the Indiana Fever to win 74-69. The win clinched the Eastern Conference title for the defending WNBA champions and assured them of home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- He has seen it before and he saw it again Sunday. Before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals even started, Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said he told his coaching staff that the team would be in trouble. And this was the worst possible time for the Shock to revert to bad habits. The energy and concentration weren't there. The desire was left somewhere in the team hotel. And Laimbeer had to watch as the Shock repeatedly made mistakes, took bad shots, failed to play defense and committed too many turnovers.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Deanna Nolan scored 21 points and Katie Smith scored all 16 of her points in the second half to help Detroit even the WNBA finals at a game apiece with a 73-63 win over Sacramento on Friday night. For the better part of three quarters, it looked like the Monarchs would take a 2-0 lead back to Sacramento for Game 3 on Sunday, but Smith wouldn't let that happen. Her 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in the third quarter pulled the Shock -- who had trailed by as many as 11 points earlier in the game -- within 54-48.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -- The Connecticut Sun got their offensive rhythm back and an emotional lift from Katie Douglas. The All-Star game MVP returned to the starting lineup despite a hairline fracture in her right foot to spark the Sun to a 77-68 win over the Detroit Shock on Saturday, extending the Eastern Conference finals to a deciding third game. "First and foremost, I didn't want to be a distraction to them," Douglas said. "Each and every one of them has supported me and I just didn't want to distract them, but I wanted to give them something if I could.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Never mind that coach Bill Laimbeer had guaranteed that Detroit would beat Indiana on Thursday night in the opening game of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Deanna Nolan knew what had to be done. She scored 18 points and Katie Smith added 17 to lead Detroit to a 68-56 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. "I think it pumps us up and gives us more confidence, makes us more focused and intense," Nolan said of Laimbeer's prediction. "But at the same time, we're not really thinking about it. We're trying to limit the little things, like turnovers, allowing second shots, and just play hard.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Cheryl Ford scored 22 points and had a season-high 19 rebounds to help the Detroit Shock beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 63-59 on Tuesday night. It was a league-leading ninth double-double for Ford this season. She has had two 18-rebound games this season, and her effort helped the Shock (10-4) stay a half game behind Connecticut for the lead in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has won six straight games. The Sun defeated Houston 73-57 on Tuesday. San Antonio (6-8)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Deanna Nolan has lost the ability to surprise her Detroit Shock teammates. No one even blinked Sunday when Nolan scored 20 points in an 11-minute stretch as the Shock beat the Charlotte Sting 71-61. "She could do that every night," said Cheryl Ford. "The only thing that stops Deanna is Deanna. " Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer called his All-Star "unguardable," and Nolan wasn't about to argue. "When I get going, all I'm thinking about is getting to the basket and scoring," she said.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Cheryl Ford had 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Detroit Shock over the Minnesota Lynx 78-69 Wednesday night. Minnesota's Seimone Augustus, the No. 1 pick in April's draft, scored 10 points in the first half before limping back to the locker room with an ice pack on her left ankle. She started the second half, but obviously was struggling and sat out most of the third quarter. Former Notre Dame star Ruth Riley and Swin Cash each added 14 points for the Shock (1-1)